A Different Sort of Case
by BFangz
Summary: CBI is called to the northeast to investigate a series of fatalities. It appears to be the work of a serial murderer, but that's hard to tell. Jane meets Eliza again 'Night on the town' and the question is will he or his emotions survive the encounter.
1. Chapter 1

This story is a logical follow on From "Night on the Town"  
These have been germinating for some time, now. I hope this one flows as easily as the last!

I should probably suggest reading "Night on the Town" to get an understanding of the Eliza character.

Short Eliza Synopsis:  
Age undermined.  
Height: 5'4"  
Weight: 112  
Build: very slim  
Complexion. Very pale.  
Hair: long, straight, black  
General appearance: Goth

* * *

**A Different Sort of Case**

Chapter 01

"Gather 'round, gang. We have a winner." Lisbon waved a case folder and grinned. "This one is sort of odd."

"I do hope it's more interesting than that damn Denver seminar," Cho grumbled, picking up an onion bagel.

Rigsby nodded. "That was boring. That was really boring. Hey, Jane, you've not said a word about the trip. It's not like you to remain so silent. Normally we're hearing all about it."

Patrick sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, I was bored. It was really boring. I do hope you have something good, there, Boss," he said, obviously trying to change the subject. It worked.

She put the folder on the table so they could each grab a summary sheet. They read silently for a few minutes. "Now, what strikes me is the fact that the cause of death is still undetermined. Six deaths and they don't have a cause of death. The coroner keeps changing his mind with each new body. The first one was ruled death by falling. The problem was that he was in an open field, so they assumed the body had been moved. The second was considered to be a gang style beating because of the damage, but he was nowhere near gang territory and would not have logically come into contact with gang activity. By the third one he was getting very suspicious, and he realized that all of them had been subject to exsanguination. That's when he began to suspect a common link."

"Well, DUH!" Van Pelt exclaimed.

"Now, be nice, Grace. It really wasn't that obvious if you take them one at a time." Lisbon commented. "He did pick up on it and he's screaming for help. We haven't had a nice serial in at least a few days, now."

Jane stifled a yawn. "Where are we heading this time? I sure hope the weather's nice."

Lisbon glanced down. "We're going to hitting the great northeast! Try northern Maine. It is truly," Teresa hesitated. "EMPTY. I don't think even Google has it listed."

Lisbon did notice Jane's seemingly increased interest at the mention of the northeast. It was one more thing to wonder about, she realized.

Jane had met a lady in Denver the last Friday they'd been there. To his amazement, he'd been able to figure out nothing about her, but she seemed to know his entire life. She'd confessed to killing her father and told him that when he killed Red John to enjoy it. She'd laughed at the idea of being prosecuted because she claimed nothing could be linked to her.

Jane would have discounted her story except he'd seen her remove the gun from the hand of a thug and leave him unconscious and bleeding on the street. Later she took down and terrorized a man that weighed at least 250 pounds – without even standing up. The time they'd spent in his hotel room had touched and affected him like nothing since the death of his family. Eliza claimed to live in the northeast.

Jane was staring at Lisbon, focusing on her words, trying to banish the memory of that night from his mind. It was working until - "Jane, what's wrong with you? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I'm sorry, Boss. I was just focusing on what you were saying." He'd actually been focusing on her breasts, more than anything else, and she knew it, but they tacitly agreed to go with his explanation. "She does have nice breasts," he thought. Mentally, he compared them to Eliza's, wondering which were actually superior.

"Boobs, boobs, boobs. That's all they think about," Lisbon thought, but then she refocused and continued. She had a lot of practice refocusing from Jane type distractions.

oOo

He closed the top to his laptop and let out a noisy breath. He couldn't believe it. He'd actually found Eliza on IRC, again, and she said that she lived in Maine and would love to meet him when he was there. His heart was pounding like a school kid's. She'd given him her cell phone number and he'd given her his CBI cell number. He jumped when his CBI phone chimed that he had a text message.

He flipped open the phone and opened the message. It was a picture of Eliza that appeared to be a professionally done and showed her wearing almost knee high black leather boots, a tight black, leather, skirt that came to mid thigh, a semi-translucent white silk blouse and a black leather cape, casually swept back over her shoulders. She had jet black hair and a very pale complexion. She's sent him that picture via a url on IRC, but it was nice to have it on the phone to attach to her number. The image of her, nude, standing over him, just before he pulled her down onto him in the hotel room flashed into his mind.

Pain or pleasure, he wasn't sure. He closed the phone and set it down. He closed his eyes, slumped and put his head in his hands. She had told him "When you get Red John, just enjoy the moment and do it right. Know that it can never bring back what is lost, but that this particular scum bag will never take anything from anyone ever again." She paused. "That'll be your gift to yourself and the world."

Jane gritted his teeth. He wanted Red John so bad he could taste the blood. Yes, he was tasting blood. He'd bit his lip and a trickle of blood was leaking from the corner of his mouth. He wiped, looked at his hand and then licked it off. "I'll drink your blood, some day, Red John. I'll drink your blood."

oOOOo


	2. The Trip Out

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 02  
(The trip Out)

"Would someone mind telling me why we are on this damn plane, flying into heaven knows where to investigate a case so far out of our jurisdiction that most of the people there will never have even heard of California," Wayne complained.

"Oh, I think most of them will have heard of California," Jane opined. "They may not believe in it, but they will have heard of it." He paused. "Most of them." He grinned, more at the thought of seeing Eliza again rather than Rigsby's discomfort, but that was fun too.

"Seriously, Boss, why are we going to Maine," Wayne asked again.

"I'm sort of doing a favor for my boss, who is doing a favor for his boss, who is acting in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation and camaraderie, or something like that. " She snorted. "Ok, I don't really know, but when I'm told to go, I go. Just like you go when I tell you to go. That's how the world works."

Lisbon looked around. Rigs and Van Pelt seemed genuinely unhappy about the trip. Rigsby did not like to fly, so that was understandable. She wasn't sure what Van Pelt's problem was, and Cho. Well, he was Cho. Now, Jane seemed actually glad they were going. That was strange. He normally hated a break in the routine that he'd become accustomed to. In Denver, he'd been a royal pain in the ass until Saturday. Saturday morning, he seemed to be a different person. Quiet, subdued, almost morose and happy at the same time. More so than usual, if that was possible.

oOo

The landing was very unpleasant. The commuter they were on was small, and it was very windy. They'd actually had to make two passes due to wind sheer. Rigsby was visibly shaken and had been clutching the barf-bag for the last hour of the flight. Even Cho had been white knuckled part of that time, but Lisbon noticed that Jane still seemed nonplussed. She'd never considered him particularly physically courageous, but the flight had shaken her, and she was a very seasoned flier. He still had bounce to his step and was off key whistling some gad-awful tune.

At least baggage claim was simple. Their party was over half of the total passenger tally.

"Is that ours? Is that one ours" Jane gestured at the large black SUV with tinted windows.

"Yes, Jane. That's our rental. There are five of us, you know. A Prius would not really be appropriate." Lisbon shook her head in a why-me gesture.

"Oh fantastic. Big black SUV with tinted windows. We'll look so cop like." Jane seemed almost ready to bounce into the stratosphere.

"We ARE cops, Jane," Lisbon said very slowly.

"Well you are. I'm not. I'm a consultant, but in that thing I'll look very cop like, now won't I?" He smiled that Jane-smile and Lisbon had to wonder.

"Is he putting me on, or is this really him." She sighed. As much as she liked him, there were times she could hardly stand him and would have fired him on the spot. Except – he got results. At his worst, it was still better with him than without him, so she lost another layer of tooth enamel gritting her teeth and walked to the SUV. She spun. "NO! You cannot drive. Don't even ask."

Jane looked crestfallen, but everyone else seemed relieved. "Cho, you drive. I'll program the GPS."

oOo

Jane was on the far left, in the back, with Rigsby in the middle, and Van Pelt on the right. As they pulled off, Jane leaned over and whispered in Wayne's ear, "After than landing you should comfort her. Be her strength and support."

Wayne turned and stared at him. "Can't hurt, now, can it?" Jane smiled. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained?" Wayne turned and put his hand over Grace's and she grasped onto his hand like a drowning woman. He put his arm around her and she snuggled closer to him, looking much happier.

"Well, what do you know," Jane thought. "It worked. I gotta try that sometime. Hey, Boss, are we working tonight or just heading to the hotel and settling in?"

"It's getting late and I'm exhausted. I'd rather have a clear head when we start this. After breakfast, we can go to the morgue, on full stomachs, and inhale formaldehyde and putrefying flesh. How does that sound?"

Grace wrinkled her nose. "Better than doing it now. If Cho hits even a small bump, I could hurl. Morning is much better for me. Much better."

Jane smiled and took out his cell phone. A few minutes later, he put it back in his pocket, still smiling. They approached the hotel an realized the only stars this hotel had were the ones overhead at night. There were collective sighs as they exited the SUV, which may have had better accommodations that the hotel. As they were walking towards check-in, Jane looked at his phone again and grinned. He put it back into his pocket, but kept on grinning like a cat that had eaten the canary.

oOo

The room was reasonably warm. Outside, it was chilly. After all, it was north Maine and night. He'd showered and was dressed casual. Casual for Jane meant no jacket, but he still had his vest on. It just felt natural. Besides, that's how she knew him. Why change what was working.

There was a tap on the door. Jane's hear skipped a beat as he went over and opened the door. Yes, it was Eliza. She was wearing bikers leathers, was carrying a helmet and a small back pack. Jane's breath came short. She was so much smaller than he remembered. She'd loomed so large in his mind that this tiny woman almost didn't seem real. He stepped back and smiled, inviting her in.

"I just made 100 miles in an hour and fifteen minutes. You have a beat, thirsty guest." She reached into the back pack and pulled out a bottle of Palinca. She pulled the cork and took a long pull. "No glass needed, thank you." Her voice was hoarse from the 151 proof alcohol, but she was holding up. She sat down and kicked off her boots. "Leathers are great for the road, but it's really hot in here.

She quickly stripped, demonstrating that she did not wear underwear, but before she could reach into her pouch for clothes, Jane asked for some Palinca. "I could use some too, you know. It was a very long flight."

She smiled and turned to face him. His eyes scanned up and down her taut, firm body. "I could deliver more than Palinca, you know," she said.

oOOOo


	3. Getting Started

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 03  
(Getting Started)

Lisbon took a sip of hotel coffee and found herself pleased with the brew. At least they did make a decent cup. All was not lost. She was trying to make sure she knew how to wear her "boss" hat. She'd never led team out of state before, and she was slightly nervous about it. She packed a lot more juice in California. She wondered how she'd to in Maine.

"You, we, we'll do fine here." Jane sat next to her and poured himself a cup of coffee from her pot. "I got your back, you know."

Lisbon sighed. "That _was _my coffee, you know. And yes, I do know that you have my back." ("For what that's worth," she thought.) "Here," she said, sliding the folio to him. "Take a look at these coroner's photos.

Jane sipped his (her) coffee and slowly flipped through the photos, pausing to seemingly memorize each one. "I'd love to know what goes through his head when he's doing that," Lisbon mused. "I bet it's interesting in there." She leaned back a took a hard look at him. "You look like hell, this morning. Didn't you sleep at all?"

Jane looked up and tried to turn on the Jane-smile, but it refused to work. "I did have a lump in the bed and I just couldn't seem to get to sleep. The time shift is tough." He dug into his pocket and retrieved a headache remedy and washed it down with black coffee.

"Yes, it feels like we went to be in the middle of the afternoon, and now, have to get up in the middle of the night." She took a sip of her coffee and stared at Jane. "Hey, since when do you drink coffee? I thought you were a "tea" man."

Jane had finished with the photos and slid the folio back to her. "I _much_ prefer tea, but this was a matter of caffeine injection. A man does what an man has to do, you know."

Theresa snickered and put the photo folio with the other documentation.

Jane lifted one eyebrow and glared at her. "You just snickered at me!"

Lisbon sighed. "I do NOT snicker."

"You snickered."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Would you two please stop the incessant bickering," Cho said, sitting down and grabbing the coffee pot.

"We were not bickering," Jane and Lisbon said in unison.

Cho closed his eyes and sipped the coffee, which had cooled somewhat, now.

Lisbon handed Cho the coroner's photo folio and stared up the steps. I know I told everyone that we were to meet at eight AM." Lisbon tapped her fingers, nervously on the table. "Jane, would you go and pull Van Pelt and Rigsby out of their rooms. They don't need anymore beauty sleep."

Jane tossed the coffee. "Ok, but will you order me some tea? Coffee really is not my cup of tea."

Theresa and Cho, both, groaned. "Van Pelt. Rigsby. Please!" Theresa rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.

"Yes, Boss. On my way, Boss."

oOo

Jane tapped on Rigsby's door. No answer. He stepped back and noticed there was no "do not disturb" sign on the door. He tapped louder, but still no answer. A Jane-smile lit his face. Whistling a slightly off-key tune, he elaborately strolled to Van Pelt's room. Yes, there was a "do not disturb" sign on the door. He firmly knocked on the door. "Eight O'clock wake up call. You two can come down, now." He could hear stirrings inside, but no response. "You alive in there?"

"We.... I'm alive in here. I'll be down in a few minutes., now go away!" Van Pelt sounded very flustered. Jane grinned a very real and very wide grin. He now knew something the rest of the team did not know. He liked that.

As he approached Cho and Lisbon, he could see that his tea had been delivered. He walked a little faster to get to the brew of his choice. "Well, were are they?" Lisbon did not look happy.

"Take a deep breath and relax, Boss. I suspect they just forgot to change the time on their travel alarms. I know I did. I just couldn't sleep." Lisbon did not look happy, but she made no comment.

oOo

Jane seemed to be unaffected by the odor of the morgue. His concentration on the bodies was total. They had all viewed the six corpses, but it looked like Jane was trying to memorize them. He was normally much quicker. "OK, Jane, talk to us. You are not the only one here, you now." Lisbon was clearly impatient.

"Boss, there is something off, here. What I'm seeing simply does not add up or make sense to me." There is one thing that is common to all of these," he said, indicating the six bodies. Pointing to the side of the neck on the last one, he said, "You'll notice that all of them have a wound here. The wounds are different, but all of them are massive."

Lisbon leaned in and looked, as did the rest of the team. "Do you think that big wound is hiding something," Van Pelt asked.

"They have all been bled dry. Maybe that wound was how it was done. It's big enough to allow them to bleed out quickly and it's right on the artery," Theresa observed.

Rigsby flipped the case folio pages. "Yes, but there were no signs of massive blood loss and any of the scenes. It's the exsanguination that alerted to coroner that there may be something common between these cases. Have all of them been identified?"

Theresa look at the coroner and he nodded. "We got them all identified this morning. I'll get copies made for all of you."

"Thank you, Sir. OK, guys, onto our vehicle so we can view the scenes." Theresa turned and headed for the exit. "Oh, and Jane, no, you cannot drive. "

"Yes, Boss," Jane replied meekly, making Teresa wonder if he was feeling well.

oOOOo


	4. An Evening with Eliza

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 04  
(An Evening with Eliza)

Jane checked the tell on his hotel room door. It was undisturbed, as it should be. He'd left the "do not disturb" sign on his door, mainly to see if it would be honored. Of course, knowing if anyone has been in your room is good, too. Of course, knowing if anyone was IN your room was even better, but his tech toys weren't readily available, here, in the northeast. Somehow, he doubted that there was anyone, around here, who was inclined to pass and reset his tell to wait for him in his room.

Jane used his key (Key? In this age of cards?) to open his door and walked in. He instantly knew he was not alone. The, "Hi, guy. Glad you could make it," was a dead give away. Eliza handed him a steaming cup of tea. "Careful, it has Palinca in it."

He lifted one eyebrow and sniffed it. "That doesn't smell too disgusting," he observed.

"Oh, try it. After the first few gasps, it'll grow on you." Eliza grinned at him and he had to marvel, again, how tiny she seemed.

"You must have a liver of stone." He sipped his tea and gasped.

"That's one gasp. You need at least one more." Eliza's smile lit up the room.

He rolled his eyes and did take another sip. To his surprise, it almost taste good. He took a third sip and realized that it was actually quite good. His stomach had a comfortable warm glow to it and he could feel the tension easing out of his body. Eliza stepped towards him and removed the cup from his hand. She set it on the table, turned, stood on tip toe, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like she meant it.

Jane had no problem responding. He was amazed at the strength in her tiny body. She was so vibrant, so alive. She was like a high voltage wire spitting sparks, and he was enjoying the sparks they were producing. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he realized that his cell phone was ringing. Eliza broke the kiss and stepped back.

"Yes, Boss? What's up." He listened. "OK, 8:30 tomorrow, no problem." He grimaced and flipped the phone shut. "Now where were we," he asked grinning.

"You were just getting ready to tell me about your day. I know. You are not supposed to discuss a case with 'civilians', but I probably know as much about it as you. The coroner's records are computerized, you know." She smiled. "I may have mentioned that I'm rather good with computers?"

Jane nodded. "That you did." He took her by the hand and guided her to the couch and sat her next to him. "Ok, let's talk about my day. Let's start at the end." Without hesitation, he continued. "I came back to my room, checked my tell and saw that no one had entered my room, so I blithely stepped in and...." He hesitated with an arched eyebrow?

Eliza _almost_ looked embarrassed. "You found ME!" She grinned and kissed him again. "Aren't you just so lucky?

Jane shook his head. He was having trouble focusing. "Pheromones." he thought. "She's loaded with them. She's turning my mind to mush." He realized she was speaking.

"Do you have any theories so far? Is this really a serial or just coincidence. Is there any commonality between the victims?" Eliza stopped and waited.

"Well, as you know they've all been bled almost dry. We have no idea how or why that was done. There was almost no blood at the scenes, to they must have been killed elsewhere, but we don't know where. They have been identified, but we spent most of the day examining the site, trying to get a handle on the geography. We'll get into trying to find some common links between them tomorrow. We're taking this one step at a time. At this point, honestly, all we have is questions and six bodies." Jane couldn't believe he'd said so much, but it really felt good to discuss this with an interested and interesting listener.

Eliza nodded. "Let me ask you a really hard question, OK?"

"Go for it." Jane wondered what she considered hard.

"What would the impact be on you and the team if you could not solve this one? Say, you found it was organized crime and it was too protected, under too many layers of political corruption to reach. How would you handle that?"

Jane felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. He wondered is she knew something or if that was a hypothetical question. He hesitated, obviously pensive. "I really don't have a clue. In California, we have the political pull to overcome that sort of obstacle. Here, I doubt that we do." He paused, chewing his lower lip. "I can't see Lisbon tucking her tail between her legs and scurrying back home." He paused. "I really have no idea."

Eliza nodded. "I hear you. That was my read, too, and I sort of hit the same dead end. I hope it doesn't come to that, but there are some heavy hitters up here. We've been doing crime a very long time, you know. We're quite good at it."

"We," he asked, grinning.

"We," she chuckled. "I drove over a hundred miles an hour to get here, you know. I'm a total scofflaw!"

"So, hanging around with you, I might get corrupted?"

Eliza laughed out loud. "You! All the cons you've pulled? Me? Corrupt you? The next thing I know, you'll be trying to talk me out of my clothes and into your bed of passion."

Jane felt his heart skip a beat again. Last night flashed through his mind – again – and again, his stomach flipped. "As long as you agree, it's consensual, right?"

"All right! You got me. I consent. Now, let's get started. It's almost midnight and you have an 8:30 meeting. I promise you that you'll need a **lot** of tea, tomorrow morning."

oOOOo


	5. The Analysis

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 05  
(The Analysis)

When Patrick had kissed Eliza goodbye, this morning, he'd felt like they were floating. They'd actually spent much of the night talking, giggling and being silly. The bottle of Palinca that Eliza had brought was getting seriously dented. At 151 proof, that can dent the constitution, too. He realized, that what had started out as a fling, was something else now. He wasn't sure what, but it was something else. That was for definite.

It appeared he was the last one down, this morning, and, as Eliza had threatened, he really did need some very strong tea. Lisbon seemed to know this and thrust a large mug of tea into his hand. "Just drink it, Jane, and no complaints if I don't have the milk/sugar ratio right. "

He nodded and took the mug and took a deep pull. "Great," he wheezed. "You did great." He sat down as the breakfast, actually the only breakfast available, was delivered. Patrick made the eggs, bacon and sausage vanish from his plate faster than Rigsby. As he finished the meal and poured a second mug of tea, he looked distinctly brighter. "Not bad," Jane commented.

"Not bad at all," Rigsby agreed. "The price is right and there's plenty of it. They do pile it on."

"OK, people, we have a conference room, today, here in the hotel. We actually have a DSL connection, so I'm hoping we can really productive. Our goal will be to find any and all common links between the victims and hope that tells us something. Go get your laptops. I want us altogether so we can compare and share ideas. Chop, chop! We'll meet there," she indicated a conference room a few feet away, "in fifteen minutes."

To Jane's disappointment, Eliza was not in his room when we entered for his laptop. The laptop was sitting on the table, facing away from, but the lid was up. He furrowed his brow and walked over to see what was going on. A quick glance at the wallpaper made it was obvious what was going one. It was a full screen of completely naked Eliza. He laughed out loud. At least she'd been kind enough to let him see it in private, rather than booting up with the team around. "Eliza," he said out loud. "you are evil!"

oOo

Time passed quickly for the team. Everyone was hitting the databases they knew best and progress was being made. They took a break every half hour, had snacks and compared what they had found. That often suggested new avenues of search, peeling the onion that this case was, one layer at a time. CBI, on a good day, functioned like a well oiled machine. True, there could be a squeaky Jane wheel, but he made his own contributions and they were very valuable.

Lisbon's cell chirped and she quickly answered it. Her side of the conversation consisted mostly of uh hus, ummmms, Oks and No kiddings. When she finally hung up, she was the target for every eye in the room. "That was the coroner's office. At Jane's request they reexamined the neck wound and it's getting even stranger." She took a deep breath and continued. "There is human saliva embedded in the wound. Now, I don't want to say we have a vampire. There's no such thing as vampires, right Jane? But we do have human saliva and I think it's a real good idea that this not become public knowledge. I do not want this investigation to turn into some sort of circus. That we do not need."

Lisbon turned towards Jane. "Do you have a theory? It was your suggestion that additional attention be applied there.

"Actually, I don't, Boss. I just knew that something wasn't coming together. I'm sorry to say that it's even less together, now, than it was before. The good news is that we are getting an interesting profile of these victims, if we can call them that."

"What do you mean, Jane? They look like victims to me.," Lisbon shot back.

"So far, we've found that they consist of pimps, drug dealers, and men charged with assault on females, there's even a couple of murders. Everyone of them. Aside from that, and the wound on the neck, the only other thing they have in common is that they all seem to have done business in that yuck ville town about a hundred miles down the road. About the only thing they seem to be victims of is victims of delayed justice."

Lisbon stared straight up for a few moments. "Jane, it is not our place to judge. We find facts. Judges and juries judge, not you and I. Do you understand that."

"I hear you, Boss. I hear you."

"Jane, I did not ask if you heard me. I asked if you understand me?"

Jane's face showed an uncharacteristic flash of anger. "I'm quite literate, thank you. I do speak English. I do my job, and I do not have to agree with your philosophy," he snapped.

Lisbon actually looked shocked. "OK, Jane. As long as you do your job, you are right. End of subject."

"Is that the Jane we know," Van Pelt whispered to Rigsby.

"I'm not sure," he whispered back, "but I like that Jane."

Cho stared at the scene in front of him. He'd never seen Jane actually fire back and back Lisbon down. He wondered what had gotten into Jane, what was eating him. Jane had been strange every since the Denver gig and he was curious. No one becomes an investigative agent unless they really enjoy solving puzzles and Cho was beginning to look at Jane like a puzzle.

Jane remained silent. He'd turned his back to the group and was intently viewing his computer screen. He obviously wanted to be left alone.

oOOOo


	6. An Information Source

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 06  
(An Information Source)

The tell on the door had been moved to the opposite side. Whoever was in there, he was assuming it was Eliza who was waiting for him, wanted him to know they were there. He stood to one side and gently tapped on the door. "Come on in, Mr. Paranoid," he heard Eliza say, as the door opened. She peeked out and saw where he was standing. "I approve. You just might learn to survive, yet."

She pulled him into the room with surprising strength, closed the door and pinned him against it. His first instinct was to resist, but the soft breasts on his chest and her firm lips on his banished all rational thought. She finally released him and pulled him over to the couch, where a cup of Palinca laced tea was waiting for him. This time he unhesitatingly took a deep pull, suffering none of the trauma of prior attempts.

Jane frowned. He knew he'd wanted to ask Eliza something, but every time he got around her, he ended up telling her things, not the other way around. "This is not like me," he thought. "This is simply not like me. I tell you, this girl has pheromones on top of pheromones! How can any man function with her in the room?"

"Oh, I remember something I wanted to ask you. A couple of times, you mentioned things, like you remember them, things I can hardly remember. How old are you?"

"Patrick, Patrick, Patrick, you know you should never ask a lady her age. I'll tell you this much, I am older than you, but you didn't seem to mind last night. Now, let's put his one in the "don't ask, don't tell" category, OK?"

He started to say something and then changed his mind. "Ok, then tell how you got into my room last night. I checked out the possibilities at lunch, today, and for the life of me I can't figure out how you did it. I'm good, but I'm thinking that you're better, and for some reason that really doesn't disturb me." He grinned. "Too much."

Eliza stood and kissed him on the forehead. Her scoop neck silk blouse gave him an enticing view as she leaned towards him. He was staring and she knew he was staring. Jane felt uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "This is ridiculous," he thought. "I am not a love struck teen," but he did not look away.

"I'm glad I don't disturb you – too much," she said coquettishly. She sat on his lap, facing him. "Why don't you tell me about your day. I know about the saliva thing, but I have no clue to what you and your team is making of it. Clue me in."

He sighed. "You and your computer skills." He paused. "Lisbon was quick to inform us that we do not have a vampire, because vampires don't exist, and that we should be very careful to avoid any leaks that might brand this case."

Eliza grinned. "It wouldn't surprise me if Lisbon is going to be in for a shock."

"Are you trying to tell there really are vampires. You aren't going to try to sell me that, are you?" Jane's incredulity was apparent.

"I guess that depends on what you mean by a vampire. I'm not going try to convince you that there are undead vampires roaming the streets at night eating people, but there is a very real 'vampire' culture around here, and some of them do some really sick stuff. That I can assure you. There are some heavy duty BDSM groups and a couple of Satanic groups. Any of these could be an explanation for some of what you've found."

"I see," he said. "Right now, I'm leaning towards some sort of vigilante group or an organized crime hit."

Eliza nodded. "That makes sense and it doesn't eliminate what I mentioned either. Life is rarely as simple as we want it to be."

Then continued to chat for some time, discussing the case. They were lying on the bed and they both seemed to be getting sleepy. They were propped up on pillows, his arm around her, his hand cupping her breast. He sighed a contented sigh and drifted.

The alarm awakened him with a start. Eliza was curled up next to him, her nude body very pale in the dim light. He ran his hand down her body, her skin slightly cool to his touch. She was very slim, but well developed muscularly. He wondered if she really weighted the 112 she'd claimed to weigh. He doubted it, but muscle does weight more than fat, so some lean people weight more that some fat people.

He groaned and sat up. Tea was going to hit the spot this morning. They had stayed reasonably sober last night. He'd been grilling Eliza about the local crime scene and he'd been amazed at the depth of her knowledge. He was going over their conversation as he dressed.

"You mind if I sleep in a few," she asked. "My motor doesn't want to get running this morning."

"Not a problem, Love. It ran just fine last night. You take all the time you need." Jane kissed her and headed downstairs to meet with the group.

"Jane, you look like you might actually be alive this morning. I guess you slept better last night," Van Pelt observed.

"That I did, but I still need my tea. Morning without tea is like..." He paused. "Oh, never mind. Where's the tea," he asked, looking around.

As they ate a leisurely breakfast, Jane gave the group and edited version of what Eliza had told him. He was relating it as if he'd found it on the net. He thought it might not be a good idea to say that he was shacking up with a woman who knew more about the local crime scene than the local cops, and who had claimed to have killed her father. No, that did not seem like a good idea.

"OK, people. Let's adjourn to the meeting room and plan out day, considering what Jane had just told us. Chop, chop," Lisbon said.

oOOOo


	7. A New Direction

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 07  
(A New Direction)

They had adjourned from the hotel and were heading for the sheriff's office. They were going to meet there and review what they had with him and get any updates on recent activities that may shed some light on what they were working on. The rode in silence, each considering what they knew or suspected to date. Jane's new information offered new areas of speculation and suggested more avenues of investigation. No one was pleased with the new data. As Van Pelt had said, "That's creepy!!" No one disagreed.

Jane, as silent as the rest was speculating of a different area. He had just realized that he'd asked two direct questions of Eliza and received exactly no information. He was absolutely nowhere reading her, understanding her, really knowing her or anything about her. He grimaced, wondering if he was losing it. He wondered if his circadian rhythm being out of sync was throwing him off. "No," he "thought. It's not that. It's her. "

She was a fountain of knowledge about local crime. They'd discussed the drug trade and she called many of the higher level dealers by name in such an easy and familiar manner that it was almost like she was very familiar with them They talked about a drug importing biker gang, and when she talked about them and their leader, when she mentioned the leader, by name, her body language indicated that she was quite fond of him. She discussed murder, rape and torture in such a matter of fact, clinical manner that he had to admit that it "creeped" him out.

oOo

"Good morning, sheriff," Lisbon said. "This is the CBI Team." She introduced each, Jane last.

Jane took the Sheriff's, shaking it. "Good morning, sheriff. I understand you have some gang activity around here."

The sheriff nodded. "We may not be big city, but we have our gangs and drug traffic. Can't get away from it, can you?"

Jane smiled. "No, I guess you can't. Is the the Ducks?"

The sheriff made a short, sharp Pfft sound. "You mean Duk's Raiders, as they're known. Duk is their leader. He is one weird dude."

The sheriff was going to say more, but Jane interrupted him. "How about the Deacon?"

The sheriff snapped his mouth shut and yanked his hand from Jane's grasp. "The Deacon?"

"Why yes," Jane said, smiling. "you know the Deacon, don't you?"

The sheriff seemed very uncomfortable. "I, ah, I can't say that I really know him. More like I know of him."

"I see. But haven't you arrested him?" Jane was still smiling.

"Oh no! I've never arrested the Deacon. The Deacon does not get arrested. That just doesn't happen."

"I see. Thank you sheriff. That was very enlightening." Jane smiled and stepped back, indicating to the team that he was done.

The briefing continued in a very normal and mundane manner, offering very little to their knowledge. Everyone on the team realized that Jane seemed to know more about the case and the area than all of them put together. Jane was feeling uncomfortable because all the real information he had came from Eliza, and she was a total mystery. "Enigma," he corrected himself. We're dealing with a mystery and she's the enigma that this mystery seems to be wrapped in

oOo

"Well, that was uninformative," Rigsby complained.

"Waste of time was more like it," Van Pelt chimed in. Cho said nothing.

"I'm not sure it was all that uninformative. Weird is not a term I'd expect to be used about a major gang leader and the sheriff seemed to be terrified of the Deacon." Jane observed. "I think we can guess where the real power lies."

They all nodded in agreement. Lisbon was the first to speak. "With your new insights, do you have any suggestions? "

"Yes, I think I can suggest a direction. We need to know more about both of them. I'll volunteer to take Duk's Raiders if you'll take the Deacon. From the way the sheriff was acting, I don't have the political clout to get close enough to the Deacon to do any good. Getting information about a gang is mostly psychology." He smiled. Knowing a personal friend of the gang leader didn't hurt either. Based on her references to Duk, he was sure they were at least friends.

oOo

A quick cell phone call and Eliza had been quick to agree to arrange a meeting between Duk and Jane. She never even questioned his "inside" knowledge that they were friends. She met him in his hotel room and entered carrying a duffel bag.

"What's in the bag," he asked, not even allowing her the chance to explain.

"Clothes. First of all, you're in for a bike ride and this is Maine. Second, where we're going, you will want to blend in as much as possible. I have some juice there, but we really don't want to have to fight our way out. One of us could get hurt."

Jayne had no doubt which "one" she was referring to. He sighed and got undressed. As he reached for the clothes that Eliza had set out, Eliza leaned forward and whispered, "Do we have time?"

Jayne groaned out loud. Eliza smiled. "OK, I can take a hint. You're working. Get dressed!"

After the ride to what they'd been calling yuk-ville on Eliza's chopped hog, Jane finally knew the meaning of terror. Once, he'd seen the speedometer bounce off of 130mph (210Kph). They drove through a seedy area of town that Jane would not want to be caught dead it – mainly due to the probability of ending up dead – and stopped in front of a bar. Then number of chopped hogs parked out front was a clear indication of what was inside. The sign over the door said, "CHAINS".

oOOOo


	8. A Night at Chains

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 08  
(A Night at Chains)

Trepidation was not exactly the word Jane would use to describe his state of mind, at the moment, but after the ride down, Chains was looking mighty good. He opened the door, with Eliza right behind him and walked in. He was struck by the smell of stale beer, stale tobacco and stale humanity. Eliza pushed him into the room, so she could get in. "To the back of the bar, there," she said indicating a direction. As they wended their way through the tables, there was no actual walkway, various people greeted Eliza. One got a punch on the arm when he tried to pinch her ass, but the both laughed.

"One of these days, Eliza," he said. "One of these days."

"Only in your dreams, Goof Ball," she shot back, "and even there you'd better be careful. You could get hurt."

They arrived at their destination, at the end of the bar, next to a very large, lean muscular man, dressed in bikers leathers. "Hey, Duck-man, how's it going?"

"Greetings, short-quart. What's that you're dragging in here," he asked, indicating Jane.

"This is my friend and current sex-partner, Jane. He's sort of a cop and wants to interrogate you about your criminal activities."

"Ah, I see." He leaned over and stared into Jane's eyes, saying nothing. He reached around his back and pulled out a very large pistol and aimed it between the eyes, at Jane's forehead, about two inches from his skull. "You're a cop?"

"CBI. Actually, I'm a consultant," he responded calmly, his Jane-smile appearing.

"What's a CBI," Duk asked, momentarily thrown off balance.

"California Bureau of Investigation. CBI."

"OK, you're a cop consultant from California. This is Maine. Why shouldn't I shoot you and get another notch for my baby, here." He shook the pistol indicating that it was his baby.

"Oh, you won't shoot me," Jane shot back. "You still have the hots for Eliza, you are very curious and love satisfying your curiosity, and you have no reason to, and you are not the type of guy to do something without a reason."

"Damn, that's a long sentence. You must be a college professor." He put the pistol back and turned to Eliza. "Where do you find them, Eliza? You do come up with some winners."

At that point, they were interrupted by a man dressed similar to Duk. Frank, over there, thinks he can take you arm wrestling, Eliza. You want to show him," he asked.

"Go get him, Eliza. I'll babysit Jannie, here, and make sure he doesn't get hurt." Duk pushed her in the direction of Frank. "You gotta see this," Duk said, addressing Jane. "This'll be a hoot."

Eliza sauntered over to Frank's table, took off her leather jacket, revealing that she was wearing a "muscle" silk blouse, reached into her tight leather jeans and pulled out a one hundred dollar bill and dropped in on the table. She was getting a few whistles and cat-calls. The blouse left very little to the imagination. "Ante up," she said.

Frank dropped a C-note on the table and slammed his huge right arm into the arm wrestling position. They had to take an angled grip, because Eliza's arm was so much shorter than his. They stared at each other and grinned. Their hands were being held and the count down began. "Three, two, one!" At one, just before their hands were released, Eliza whipped up her shirt and exposed her bare breasts. Her opponent gawked, as did the entire room, Eliza slammed his hand into the table, grabbed the hundred dollar bills, stood and bowed.

The man at the table looked confused, and then realized than he'd been conned. He looked at the grinning lady and smiled. "It was worth every penny," he said, ever the gallant biker gentleman. Everyone in the room clapped and cheered.

Eliza circulated, giving Jane and Duk time to chat. She'd purposefully had not prepared Jane for Duk, wanting to see the interaction. Jane had not disappointed her, and she knew she could count on Duk. He was her buddy, and Eliza didn't have many buddies.

Jane discovered that he actually liked Duk. He seemed to have no compunction about discussing some of his very criminal activities saying, "Ya gotta have evidence to convict and I never said nuthing." Then he laughed uproariously, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Jane quickly realized that this was a very intelligent man, very well educated, and possibly totally amoral. He had an incredible sense of justice and made his own rules. Jane would have hated to have this man mad at him. Without a doubt, that could be fatal. It was clear that Duk was top dog, and to burden analogy further, Eliza the queen bee at Chains.

Jane had figured there was no need to con or work Duk. For some reason, Eliza's introduction gave him an instant "in". When Jane had told him why he was here and what he was looking for, Duk had instantly said "The Deacon." They talked for a long time and in great detail.

Eliza approached. "You done with him yet, Duk? We've got a ride ahead of us."

"I like this dude, Eliza. You gotta bring him around again, and I think we're about tapped out."

"Did you tell him how really smart you are?"

"Nah, I figured he could guess. I've never seen anyone guess so good. You'd think he was some sort of con man, not a cop."

"I am NOT a cop," Jane repeated. "I am consultant."

"And was a con man," Eliza added. "One of the best."

oOo

The bed was heaven. The ride back had been worse than the ride out. Eliza was in a hurry to get back to the hotel and Jane never knew a machine could move so fast. Eliza seem to have a psychic sense of the road ahead.

"Again," she asked.

"At least once," he grinned. "Maybe twice."

oOOOo


	9. Going Visiting

**A Different Sort of Case**  
Chapter 09  
(Going Visiting)

One by one they assembled in the conference room. One by one the grabbed a sugared doughnut, even Grace, to get the sugar rush. As a group, they were looking distinctly ragged. Jane added an extra _large _spoon of sugar to his tea. The coffee pot was nearly empty and no one had said anything.

"Is this a funeral," Lisbon asked, though she was not looking much better than the rest of them. She yawned, but tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle it. "I'm as beat as the rest of you. It seems we're running around in circles." She took a sip of coffee. "Jane, you investigated the gang, Grace and Wayne investigated the Deacon, Cho and I visited the families of some of the victims." She stared at Jane. "Yes, Jane. Victims!"

"Whatever," he muttered.

"Grace and Wayne, what did you find?" Lisbon sat down to hear their response.

"The Deacon is a major crime force and has connections to surrounding states, Boss. He's got a lot of political juice and is into prostitution, drug, and sex clubs. There are over 25 murders that seem to be connected to his enterprises and those are just the ones that made the news. This is one heavy hitter."

Lisbon nodded. "Oh, joy!" She took another sip of coffee. "Jane, what did you find about the biker gangs?"

Jane took a bite of the doughnut, washed it down with a sip of tea an responded: "I talked to Duk."

"Wait!" Lisbon interjected. "You talked to a duck?" The look on her face was a mixture of exasperation and curiosity to hear the explanation.

"No," Jane patiently explained. "Duk, D.U.K," he said spelling it. "He's the boss of Duk's Raiders.

All eyes were now on Jane. "You found this Duk, walked up to him and asked him to tell you all about his crimes." Lisbon did not sound convinced.

As raggedy as Jane looked, his Jane smile appeared. "Yes, Boss. That's about it. Quite a nice man, actually. He let me live **and** he told me all about crime around here."

"He told you all about his criminal doings and let you live.."

"Boss," Jane interrupted, "would you stop repeating what I say and just let me finish."

Lisbon closed her mouth with an audible snap. She pointedly stared at him.

"Thank you," he smiled. "Now, as I was saying, he did tell me about his activities, which are primarily drug and arms dealing. Somewhat straight forward and commercial. He's got a body count, but the bullet in the head type, not torture or mutilation. His biggest competitor is The Deacon, and the way he says it, both words should be capitalized." He paused for a sip of tea.

"So, you think the Raider gang is not involved?"

Jane swallowed the tea. "Grace and Wayne told you about The Deacon, but they omitted one thing that Duk mentioned. That is the Satanic Cult angle. Duk says that they are sadists that use Satanic type ritual to indulge in pedophilia, rape, mutilation and torture. It costs big money to be active in one and they even kidnap victims and 'train' them to be part of the 'sacrifice'. Jane visibly shuddered. We don't need details, this morning, but what brought us here would sure fit into that scenario."

Lisbon nodded. "The interviews that Cho and I conducted confirm what you're saying. All of them were terrified and scared to talk. What they did say, off the record and in strictest confidence, points to The Deacon and the Satanic crap you've unearthed."

Grace seemed very pale. "Satanists," she gasped. "I, I, I don't know if I'm ready to go there. I really do value my soul!"

Lisbon looked at Grace quizzically. "We're the good guys, Grace. Fighting evil is good for your soul."

Jane had a pained look on his face. "Relax, Grace. The story is that there is a vampire that hates The Deacon and protects those who come under attack by him. The vampire will protect you."

"Oh, my god. Oh, my god, Oh, my god... A vampire. A vampire. I can't believe this. This can't be happening to me." Van Pelt did seem a wee bit upset. Panic stricken could be more accurate.

"JANE!" Lisbon screeched. "That was not called for. Now you tell her the truth. You apologize."

"I'm sorry, Boss, but what I was saying is really true. Well, all but the part that the vampire would protect Van Pelt. I doubt the vampire even knows her. I suspect, that she, all of us, are all alone in this mess.

Rigsby was trying to comfort Van Pelt, and everyone looked uncomfortable, even Jane, who was not smiling.

oOo

The road was narrow and winding, but at least it was paved. Their big SUV made the ride smooth, and Cho was being very careful. While they did not exactly have a search warrant, they had a document that allowed them to 'trespass' on posted property so that they could actually get to one of The Deacon's businesses, where they hoped they could obtain more information. So far the trip had been uneventful.

They rounded a bend and were faced with a steel fence, secured by a large padlock. "What now, Boss." Cho brought the big vehicle to a smooth stop.

Lisbon shook her head. It say we can 'trespass', not break and enter. We need a plan 'B'.

Jane hopped out of the SUV and walked up and examined the lock. He briefly shielded it with is body. When he turned, he was holding the open lock in his hand. "Look, Boss. It wasn't locked." His grin was echo by several in the van.

Lisbon did not look happy, but decided that this was probably plan 'B'. As Jane got back in, she said, "Ok, Cho. Let's go."

oOOOo


	10. The Visit

**A Different Sort of Case  
**Chapter 10  
(The Visit)

They had not driven far, the open gate was still visible, when they crested a small hill on a turn and were face to face with multiple vehicles blocking the road, and several visibly armed men. "Hold up Cho. This is private property and we need to proceed cautiously." Lisbon got her badge and the 'warrant', ready to display.

She stepped out of the vehicle, held her badge and the papers aloft. "Bureau of Investigation," she yelled, omitting the California. "We have a warrant," she called, stretching the truth.

Moments passed, no one saying anything. She stood, frozen, displaying her badge. A single shot sounded and her badge vanished from her hand. Her reflexes were excellent and she 'hit the dirt', drawing her own gun. Bullets began to make to make pock marks around her, as she started to return fire.

The van emptied with the speed and confusion of a Chinese fire drill. Jane, ever observant, hit the ground and rolled into a ditch that was next to the road. It was _almost _dry, and it did provide cover. "Over here," he called. The vehicle crew splashed in next to him, while Lisbon rolled, fired, rolled, and fired, finally making her way into the ditch.

"What have we run into," she gasped. Someone, call the sheriff and get us some support.

She heard Jane using some uncharacteristically obscene language. "There's no damn service, Boss." They all groaned. "What's plan 'C'", he asked.

Minutes passed, the occasional bullet slamming into the ground around them, keeping them pinned where they were. A shot sounded and Rigsby grunted. Everyone turned to see a rip in his coat sleeve, right at the shoulder and a trickle of blood. He touched it and grimaced. "A nick, but that answers the question of whether or not they are serious about shooting us."

"I'm sorry, Wayne, but I didn't have any doubts," Jane said sourly. "Hold on... they're trying to circle behind us!"

Cho reacted first, spinning and firing at the two men approaching. Both went down, limp. "Shit!" He looked at Lisbon. "Boss, we have a problem. I may have just made them mad."

"I wonder if one of us could make it to the van and go for help," Rigsby suggested.

"Wayne, they'd shoot it to pieces after you were in it, IF you get that far. The chances of you getting there are remote to zero." Lisbon looked over the ridge of the ditch and was rewarded with a face full of dirt from a close bullet. "See," she said. "They are not bad shots."

"I feel sort of naked, here," Jane said. "At least all of you have guns." He hesitated. "I hate to ask this, but how are you guys set for bullets?"

Everyone was checking and unhappy mutterings could be heard. "That good, huh? This just gets better and better." There was no Jane smile, this time.

"At least they had music on the Titanic," Van Pelt offered. "I'm wet, cold, hungry and I'm going to get killed. This day sucks."

Jane started to say something, but then stopped himself. "She doesn't really need to consider that she'll probably be 'trained' and the star attraction as the next sacrifice."

Cho coughed. "I think I should say something." All eyes swiveled to him. "You all know what Jane said these freaks are into. They've shown that they are willing to kill us." He paused. "Save the last bullet for yourself. Red John's a neophyte compared to these guys, I think."

No one said anything, but everyone was very pensive.

As the rate of fire towards their position increased, they realized that this was the push to overrun them. They were doing the best they could to peer between low bushes and to fire as accurately as the could. Every now and then a click could be heard, followed by a curse and no more shots would come from that direction.

"I'm not going like this," Lisbon shouted and stood up. Her shout, Jane's cry of alarm and the sound of gun fire were all masked by an earthshaking rumble. Everyone turned to see what was happening.

A column of motorcycles, two abreast pyramid fashion was approaching. Each bike was packing two, one driver and a rider who was heavily armed and firing at The Deacon's crew. The CBI team had never seen such a fire fight. Jane instantly recognized Duk, and the fact that he was an arms dealer flashed through his mind. One of the bikes stopped and the passenger got off, kneeled and fired a LAW, the stream of fire from the tail of the Light Anti Tank weapon streaking into The Deacon's troops.

They were trying to get back into their vehicles when the bikes circled them, and in a coordinated maneuver, reduced their vehicles to rubble. There were no signs of life. The bikes wheeled and headed for the CBI team. Lisbon was like a deer in headlights, not that any of the team was any better. They came to a very noisy halt just a few feet from the ditch. Jane was even more shocked when he realized that Duk was packing Eliza and she was armed to the teeth, the weapon in her hands still smoking.

Duk stood, straddling his bike. "I thought I told you to be careful, there, Janey Man. You don't listen too good do you?"

Maybe for the first time in his life Jane was at a total loss for words. "Say 'thank you.' to the nice man," Eliza said grinning.

Jane shook his head. "Seriously, thank you Duk, and maybe I don't listen to well, sometimes. I owe you one."

Duk laughed. "I think you own me six! But who's counting." Duk sat down and gunned the big machine. Eliza blew him a kiss as they roared by. Silence settled and all that remained was to crawl out of the ditch and return home.

oOOOo


	11. Finale

**A Different Sort of Case  
**Chapter 11  
(Finale)

Lisbon wasn't sure if the sheriff had called her a liar or insane. As Wayne had said, probably both. What could she say? It really did sound crazy. They had no idea how many had died out there, and law officers had been assaulted. There was no sign that anything had happened except Wayne's torn jacket and the crease on his arm. Nothing. The sheriff had refused to even go out there to investigate. The State Police had told her that it was under the jurisdiction of the sheriff.

To make it worse, they were being recalled. The request for assistance had been rescinded, and for all practical purposes, they were being kicked out of the state. Like the sheriff had said, The Deacon did not get arrested. Apparently he didn't even get visited. The team was not happy. Even Jane seemed uncharacteristically quiet. This was not one of their finest hours.

When they got back to the hotel that evening, Lisbon informed them that they'd leave the hotel, for the airport, at ten AM. "We'll go over this back home. I just want to get far away from here, now."

There had been a murmur of assent. Everyone wanted to get back home. The northeast had not been a pleasant experience. At least not professionally. Three of the five had taken advantage of the relative privacy and change of environment to explore new experiences. As much as they disliked what had happened, Jane, Wayne and Grace were going to miss what they had at night, here.

On their way upstairs, Jane had pulled Wayne to one side. "Rigsby, Van Pelt really seems to be stressed out. I don't think she should be alone, tonight. One of us should stay with her. Want to flip for it?"

"Yes, I think you're right, but let's actually be honest. You have something you want to do, and so do I. I'm not sure who you want to be with, but you know, and I know you know, that I want to be with Grace." He put his hand on Jane's shoulder. "Thanks. Sometimes you can be really decent." Wayne turned and bounded up the steps to the third floor.

Jane stood, a surprised look on his face. Had he really been that obvious? He wondered just what Eliza had done to him. Even more so, he wondered if she'd do it again tonight. It was his turn to take the steps two at a time.

As he approached the door, the clink of a glass, probably Palinca, into a cup of tea, thrilled him unreasonably. His stomach fluttered and he felt rather foolish. "I am a grown man," he told himself. No matter what he told himself, his hand shook slightly as he opened the door, not even being cautious.

She straightened and smiled. "Hi lover. So glad you could make it." She was suddenly pressed against him, pinning him to the door.

"I'm going to think about his one of these days." As Eliza began to run her hands over his body and press firmly into him, he thought, "But not today."

Their clothing was strewn all over the room, and Eliza's body glistened with perspiration. Jane was lounging on the sofa, sipping the Palinca laced tea, a contented smile on his face. He yawned and casually said, "Now, tell me what actually happened today. I mean besides you and Duk saving our asses."

She remove the cup from his hand, tossed the remainder and flipped over, lying, head on his lap. She put his hand on her lean stomach and patted it. "Wasn't saving your asses enough?" Her infectious grin made him smile.

He didn't need too many hints to figure out what to do with his hand. He enjoyed stroking her lean, hard, nearly hairless body – almost as much as she. "Yes, Eliza, it's more than enough, but you know how curious I am." He leaned forward and kissed her.

She smiled. "On the mouth this time." He complied, and Eliza started talking. "Duk called me and said there was activity going on at The Deacon's compound. He has The Deacon under surveillance at all times. He'd discovered that you have a 'warrant' of some sort and figured that when you went there it was going to be a "shit storm". I asked him for help and he agreed. " Eliza smiled. "We're actually buds. He'd go to hell for me."

Jane nodded. "And he has a mild dislike for The Deacon."

Eliza laughed out loud. "That he does. That he does."

They fell silent. "It's been nice spending time with you," Jane said slowly. "I'm going to miss you."

"I could visit you, every now and then," Eliza offered.

"I..."

"Trust me, I can afford it and you can't stop me. All you could do is not let me in, and I'm rather hard to keep out."

Her smile made him feel funny, again. "Ok, but right now, time is slipping away. Let's use it."

oOo

The trip back was mostly silent. All of them felt like they'd been beaten and abused, and they didn't like it. Each of them was trying to figure a way to take The Deacon down. All of them vowed he'd be sorry for trying to kill them. They did have friends, and when they got back to California, they'd start using those friends to make The Deacon's life a living hell.

oOo

In their bull pen, Lisbon stood. She looked as drained as the rest of them. "People, I want to thank you. I have the feeling that we were set up for some political end. Be that as it may. Nietzsche said : 'If you stare into the Abyss long enough the Abyss stares back at you.' She paused. We've been there. Together. And we have returned. We've changed. I think we're better." She straightened. "Today is Thursday," she said, stating the obvious. "Go home, do what you need to do and I'll see you all Monday morning."

oOOOo

THE END


End file.
